The Resistance
by Shell.Casings.and.Quill.Pens
Summary: When hostile nations invade and control most of Europe, CHERUB's best and brightest are deployed to help protect England and the free world at large.
1. Prologue

Resistance

"CHERUB was formed during the second world war. Agents of MI5's most secret division were decisive in the British victory at the Falkland Isles against the Argentines. CHERUB is an agency designed to aid our nation in times of war. CHERUB, is what we need. We need agents in place in eastern europe to co-ordinate resistance efforts and our own attacks on enemy spearheads. If we're going to hit them, we need to plan. We have assets on the ground, but not enough. I hereby request the release of all available CHERUB assets to Theatre Command Europe, in order to gain addition intel on enemy forces on the ground." -FLASH Traffic Briefing for MI5 Commandant Geoffrey Grey

"This war is getting out of control all to fast. The steel pact forces have already engulfed the entirety of the Sovereign Republic of the Ukraine, along with most of the former south soviet east republics. If international intervention does not begin soon, we may soon see most of Europe under the Blood & Steel" -BBC News

"While I regret to say this, it has become nescessary. I have been ordered by the Prime Minister to inform you that CHERUB is now going to war. You all have options, let me remind you, but if you wish to remain with CHERUB... we are going to war." Zara Asker, CHERUB Chairwomen, on deployment inside europe.


	2. Chapter 1: Kyj

Chapter 1: Kyj

Darkness. All Jack could see was the slightly luminescent emergency lights sunk into the staircase. And Zara, of course, but who wanted to look at her, today. The day she was explaining to us how we were going to war. It had seemed so abstract, for a long time. When he first heard about the red's tanks rolling over the Ukranian line, it had meant something. Just not very much. He wondered about his old friend, Kyj, who still lived in Ukraine, but after a couple attempted phone calls, he gave up, more interested in the latest campus gossip about Julie snogging with Rat. His best friend, Zak, sat beside him, paying a little more attention. Not much, though. But when Zara began talking about their duty to their country, Zak's elbow jabbed into Jack's ribs, and he snapped back into reality. He'd been thinking about Kyj, again, for the first time since he first heard. "This is a load of bollocks. Are they really gonna kick us out if we don't go to some god-forsaken part of Poland to 'fight for our country'?".

"I don't know. Whatever. Just pay attention, will ya? And don't do that again. My ribs hurt enough from that last sparring session with Julie."

"You mean the one were she kicked your arse? And fine, I'll shut up. I'm just saying, this sounds like a lot of bullshit."

Zara's voice was louder than anything they were saying, though, amplified through the speaker system someone had had the foresight to install in the underground auditorium attached to the bunker. "I know this is hard for you. I know some of you lost family during the Falkands war. But this is what we have to do. Our country needs us. If we stand by and watch, England as we know it may cease to exist. Sure, we can ask the Americans to help, but how much can they do? This is our fight, and we're damned well going to fight it", Zara had worked herself up quite a bit by this stage "and if you're not going to fight for you're country, get up. Stand up right now, and leave. There are handlers outside who will figure something out for you. But if you can't bring yourself to do this, leave now.". Zak began to stand, but Jack's hand shot out, lightning quick, to stop him.

"If you walk out now, it's over. All your chances with Cherub, all your friends, everything. Done. You're going to regret it if you do."

"Jack, do you even know what we're signing up for? This is _conscription_. We're being asked to join the army. Mate, we're bloody fourteen! I intend to live my life, and this isn't a way to do it. I don't want to end up run over by the tracks of some bloody Russian tank driven by some sod who doesn't give a damn about his country!"

"Zak. Don't do this. We've been best friends since bloody forever. This isn't worth leaving over. Stay. Look, you're not going to die. We're the damn best, in the world. You think some soldier is going to see a teenager and shoot? No. That's why we can do this. That's why we can _win._ Look. I wasn't paying attention before, I was thinking about an old friend of mine. Y'know, before I joined up. I tried to reach him earlier, and I couldn't. He's probably _dead_. These arseholes are killing civilians and everyone in their damn path. Somebody has to put a stop to them, and if we can, why the hell shouldn't it be us?" Jack looked around, unsurprised by the uproar that had been caused by Zara's last words. A handful of CHERUB's were shuffling out, heads hung low. But most had stayed. And Zak wasn't leaving, yet at least.

When the handful of CHERUB's on their way out had left, Zara retook the stage.

"Thank you, all of you. I know it's hard, but this is the right choice. We have to fight. It's not what anyone wants to do. War is ugly. War is cruel. But, and I quote an American here, rare as it is, 'The tree of liberty must be watered, from time to time, with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants'. Thomas Jefferson said it. It was true when those damn Yanks ran away from us, and its true today. I'm not going to lie to you. Any mission you go on is going to be dangerous. But it's necessary. And we're not taking any risks with you that we don't have to. For the most part, you'll be operating alongside S.A.S. or Para operators. They are the best of the best at what they do, and you're no different. This is a job that must be done. And you're the best ones to do it."

When Jack returned to his room that night, fairly exhausted from extra physical training that had begun as soon as Zara's talk had ended, he thought about his friend, Kyj. He had never been especially close to him while they had both lived in the UK, but had always regretted it. And now, Kyj was quite possibly dead. He would avenge his friends death, he knew that. He was just working out a plan on how to kill as many red bastards as possible. But his body caught up with his mind far earlier than usual, and he fell into a fitful sleep before his plan was fully formed.


End file.
